France
The French '''have the power of Chivalry. They replace the Americans. Game Info '''Faction Type: '''Catholic '''National bonuses: *Governments at the Senate are free *First Wonder is built instantly, provided no other nation is building it also *Start with 1 Science Tech already researched *Recieve a free Scholar whenever a new University is built *Military ground units upgrade 25% cheaper *Recieve +3 Food, Timber, Metal, and Wealth for every non-Scout Barracks unit while they are not garrisoned Unique Units: *King's Musketeer 3 *Gallic Charger 1 => Dauphin's Guardsmen 2 => Royal Gendarmes 3 *Franconian Spear Retinue 1 => Halberdiers 2 => Halberdier Guardsmen 3 *Javelin Horse 1 => Mounted Skirmisher => Skirmisher Cavalry 3 Mercenaries: *1 Vasconian Foot Raider *2 Light Zuldaneria *3 Magyar Artillerist; Genoese Crossbowmen Suggestions and spoilers CtW guide France does not start off too well. While they are surrounded like the English across the Channel, the French just don't have the luxury of extra room to grow. Westwards, they are blocked off by the Spanish while the east is dominated by the Burgundians in the Alps and the Italians to the south. Fortunately however, they are one of five factions in the game capable of creating overseas colonies towards the end of the Castle Age. Colonies are a force to reckon with: they provide streams of tribute, and also supply additional rare resources. The French player may obtain an extra army as long as the number of colonies it controls is higher than 4. Diplomacy-wise, France has one advantage against the English - they start off allied with Scotland, so any campaigns to bring the English Normans to heel might well work out in your favour. Additionally, France is also one of the Pope's right-hand men, meaning that you might yet be able to take out any of the smaller factions that might be excommunicated or attacked without the threat of interdict, such as Bohemia or Sicily. The best way to proceed in would be to gather sufficient tribute, capture Jerusalem, and then make vassal states out of the smaller Catholic factions of Europe, creating a mighty war machine for your eventual rampage into Asia. Faction summary '''Leaders: '''Francis, Hugh, Charles, Louis XII, Eleanor of Aquitane, Thibault de Blois, Robert the Pious, Phillipe Auguste, Étienne "La Hire" of Vignolles, John of Harcourt, Anna Vreizh '''Settlements: '''Paris; Orleans; Rheims; Tours; Greater Quevilly; Poitiers; Calvados; Brest; Metz; Calais; Varennes; Evreux; Nîmes; Brussels; Strasbourg; Rocroi Boulogne; Vendôme; Coutrai; Bordeaux; Nantes; Blois; Narbonne; Chartres; Bourges; Soissons; Pont-Audemer; Toulouse; Pont-L'Evêque; Lisieux; Harfleur; Honfleur; Fresnoy; Amiens; Cherbourg; Castillon; Lorient; Mont-Saint-Aignan; Angouleme; St Stephen's of Rouvray; Bayonne; Moulins; Artois; Aubusson History France has its origins from the Gauls, a warlike tribe that came into conflict with the Romans as they expanded into Europe from the Caucasus and defeated by the same in 52 BCE. Although it took another ten years to quell them completely, the Gauls were absorbed into the Roman Empire that the Franks under Charlemagne inherited a Gallo-Roman character that pervades the modern nation of France to this day. Foundations of Roman culture in France "The Gauls" were actually the roman name for the Celtic tribes that inhabited the areas now known as France. They moved into the area from east of the Rhine in 900 B.C.E and by 500 B.C.E established a distinct and uniform Gallic culture. They were also introduced to Greek culture through contact along the Mediterranean coast during this time. They eventually came into conflict with the Romans, and managed to sack Rome in 390 B.C.E. However, Rome managed to contain them as their warlike society often put them at odds with other Gallic tribes as much as they did with Rome. Eventually Imperial Rome conquered the area inhabited by the Gauls through the Gallic Wars (58 B.C.E. to 41 B.C.E) and incorporated them into Roman provinces. In 48 A.D., the Roman Emperor Claudius I began admitting Gallic nobles into the Roman senate. He encouraging the Gauls into Emperor worship, and in turn incorporated Celtic pagan beliefs into the religions of Rome. The Dark Ages However by the end of the 5th century A.D., a new wave of Germanic tribes including the Vandals, Visigoth, Alamani, Burgundians and the Franks rested control of the region from the Romans. One of the groups of Frankish tribes, the Merovingians, however managed to unify the Franks and eventually conquered most of Gaul. This established what is now known as the Merovingian dynasty. After the adoption of Christianity, the Frankish Empire reached its zenith under the rule of Charlemagne (768 A.D. to 814 A.D.). He established the Carolingian dynasty and formed what was called the Holy Roman Empire, after wars with the Saxons to the East, Saracens to the South, and the Moors in Southern Spain. Charlemagne's strong and wise rule, which saw the invention of lower case letters to increase literacy, and the beginning of a jury system and responsible government did not last. His feuding descendents eventually broke the Empire apart. So by the middle of the 9th century A.D. the Holy Roman Empire was divided into several Kingdoms; most notable are that of France and the various German Duchies. Through the Middle Ages, France participated in the numerous Christian Crusades (from 1096 A.D. to 1291 A.D) against the Islamic empires in the Middle East. It also saw the establishment of the order of the Templar Knights in 1119 A.D. However it failed to achieve its goal of taking control of the Holy lands from the Muslims but did achieve a sense of worldliness in the minds of the European Kingdoms. The Forge of War In the late Medieval period France became embroiled in the "Hundred years war" from 1337 A.D. to 1453 A.D. The French was met with sounding defeats at the hands of the English at the Battle of Crecy in 1346 A.D., then again at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 A.D. English claims to the French throne looked all but assured. In these dark moments, France inspired by the patriotism of Joan of Arc, lead the Dauphin and his army through a series of rapid victories retaking almost all of the territories lost to the English. The Dauphin was crowned King Charles VII of France. Instilling a sense of intense patriotism in France against foreign incursion ever since. During the subsequent centuries France's unique identity emerged, laying the foundations of Imperial France. Category:Factions Category:Spoiler